Review

Curbside Delight

In a Dog-Eat-Dog World,
"Eat" Is the Operative Word

SOME FAST-FOOD companies have been (excuse the expression) in the doghouse of late, but one restaurant stock has had some investors licking their chops.

As the Dow Jones Restaurant Index fell nearly 18% in the past year, Applebee's, a franchiser and operator of "casual dining" eateries, gained a like amount, recently flirting with its 52-week high of $27.67. But the company, about 75% of whose...